City Hoping Sign Law Sends Signal

After four years of tinkering, the City Council approved a new sign code this week that allows larger signs on the busiest streets in Huntington Beach.

Planning commissioners suggested that by allowing slightly larger signs, the city might motivate business owners to replace old and ugly ones.

No residents spoke against the ordinance at Monday’s meeting. But in letters to the council and comments at previous meetings, some had said they feared “visual pollution” that might come with bigger signs.

“By allowing an increase in the size and height of business signs, you are turning back the clock to a time when community pride was placed far behind commercialism in the city’s priorities,” residents David and Margaret Carlberg wrote.

The council voted 7 to 0 to allow signs up to 25 feet high on Beach Boulevard, Brookhurst and Golden West streets, and Adams, Edinger and Warner avenues, but only on lots with at least 400 feet of street frontage. The height limit would be 20 feet for large lots on all other streets in the city.

The council also voted to allow political signs on public property, and debated whether to eliminate its prohibition against campaign signs more than 45 days before or 15 days after an election. The city attorney’s office advised that time limits for political signs are probably unconstitutional. But the council voted to keep the limits on the books as guidelines.

“Even though it’s unenforceable, leave it in there,” Councilman Tom Harman said. “It’s been working well.”